I’m writing in response to ASI president Tylor Middlestadt’s commentary about alternative transportation solving the parking problem on campus. Middlestadt’s stance against building a parking structure and/or new parking lot, along with not making cheaper parking permit prices, is ridiculous. Paying $255 a year to circle a parking lot searching for a space is outrageous.
I agree with Middlestadt that riding your bike or taking the bus is definitely cheaper, but it is not always the most efficient or reasonable means of getting to school. Take the students who have to work between classes. The bus schedule is not going to correspond to their work schedule or job location. Also, riding a bike is out of the question if work or residence is too far from campus. Plus with winter upon us, fewer and fewer students will resort to the bicycle with the heavy Central Coast rains and early sunsets. This will make the parking lots even more crowded.
Tylor may want the student body to conform to the way he would like things to be. But seeing as he is the ASI president, it seems he should try to be more in touch with the needs of the students he represents. If it is a nice day I’ll ride my bike to school. However when it rains I am going to want a parking space for the $255 permit I paid for.
Michael Macedo
Bioresource and agricultural engineering sophomore